Thursday, September 6, 2012

He’s the DJ, I’m the Rapper (Jive, 1988) by DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince

For as monumental as this album is (one of its singles, "Parents Just Don't Understand," was the first song ever to win a Grammy in the Best Hip Hop/Rap Single category), it seems that it is underappreciated.  This is a very good album.  DJ Jazzy Jeff's scratching and cutting is superb, and Will's writing and rapping are uniquely his own.  "Nightmare on My Street" is a clever, light ode to horror films and Charlie Mack [First Out of the Limo] is a great shout out to his body guard ("Apollo Creed is a sucker/Charlie Mack could be Drago").  And "Time to Chill" has a nice mellow vibe.  "Here We Go Again" is an excellent reintroduction of the duo.  The aforementioned "Parents Just Don't Understand," of course, is timeless (and props to Ben Affleck for mentioning the song when talking with Will Smith in Jersey Girl).  Overall, this is a great hip hop album that still holds up almost a quarter of a century since its release.

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